Yesterday, I had a unique thing happen. In 30 years of playing Dungeons & Dragons and 25 years of dungeon mastering I have experienced a total party kill a couple of times and my main character died so many times during my first 10 years of playing D&D that it became a joke. But never had I refereed a game that resulted in a total party kill and that is exactly what happened yesterday with the first encounter of the new adventure we started.
I new the encounter would be tough and I scaled back some of the criteria for monsters. I eliminated the surprise attack round, took away the +1 to hit for the hopping special attack, and always failed my initiative roll so that I attacked last each round. Once things started going badly, I reduced the amount of damage they did with each attack to try to prolong the combat and give the characters an opportunity even the numbers but it never happened. The players could not make enough hits and were plagued by bad dice rolling. I also underestimated the impact of the number of attacks that each individual opponent had and how the damage, no matter how trivial, really added up quick.
The players were demoralized and upset, justifiably. I tried to offer restarting the scenario and ignore the results of the first encounter but there was grumbling that it felt like cheating to ignore the character party being wiped out. Some new numbers were generated for new characters for possibly starting a new campaign but one of the players hasn't decided if he wants to play any more and another doesn't want to invest time in a character if he's just going to die again. The experience was demoralizing for everybody involved and really derailed our afternoon. We were finally able to pull it together enough to play some card games for a couple of hours and salvage some game time but I don't know what the future holds for our monthly game day yet.
Part of the problem is trying to scale the games. Most adventures are created for 4-5 characters and I'm refereeing for 3. I've tried to scale the encounter down, fudge hit rolls and damage rolls and not take advantage of special abilities but I need to figure out how to actually overhaul some of the encounters so they are more appropriately balanced. I haven't dmed in almost a decade which has contributed to some rustiness on my part. And I'm trying to play with 4th edition rules in one game but referee with 2nd edition rules in another game which has created some confusion as the 2 rules sets are drastically different. It would be great to convert the game to 4th edition and focus on just 1 rule set but I'm the only one among that group that has the newest rules and I don't think they are inclined to spend money on new rules, especially because we've only played about 9 times in the last year.
Maybe it's time to start playing board games again.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
8 Month Check-up & Life In General
I spent the last 2 fridays meeting with the surgeon's assistant and my primary care physician regarding my gastric bypass surgery on January 29th. Everything seems to be great. I'm down 212 pounds to 309 and I'm no longer considered diabetic with a 3 month post-medication A1C score of 5.4. My total cholesterol is down to 154 and my LDL to HDL ratio is 4.6. Some of my nutrition levels are a little off but improving.
My fitness level is also improving. I typically walk 3 miles a day at least 5 days a week and feel much better physically. No joint pain or any real issues with mobility any more. Emotionally I still have moments where for no perceivable reason I get upset, angry, or depressed. Don't know what to do about those yet but I work through them and try to feel better. Those times are still the hardest part of the post-surgery experience.
Elizabeth started school the tuesday after Labor Day and is loving it. We should have started her in pre-school a year ago but we were worried about the change and we want her to be our "little" girl for as long as possible. She comes home with new information everyday and is starting to recognize letters, numbers, and some words already. I'm very excited for her future.
Amy is in her first semester as a department chair and the experience is not a very positive one for her. She has employees that don't cooperate with her or each other and don't do their jobs. It has been upsetting to realize how unprofessional some people can be. I really want her to find another job at another college. We'll have to wait and see.
My gaming life is not going as well as I would like it to but what's new there. I did run my 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons game again for the first time since Spring in September and we finally finished the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh adventure. I've been reading the second installment, Danger at Dunwater, and should be ready to start it this Sunday when we meet again. The 4th edition game that was meeting at Joel's only managed to play 1 game before it fell apart. And the online 4th edition game Joel is running with Maptools and Ventrilo is a lot of fun but still not as much fun as a face-to-face game. I may find myself in a position where I have to get up to speed with the 4th edition rules and try to run my own game. I really like the rule set and have invested a fair amount of money in rule books for the current edition of D&D.
Probably the aspect of gaming I have been most succesful at is collecting and spending money. I now have 24 of the 42 little black books from the original Traveller science fiction role-playing game from the early 1980s. Traveller is a game I did not play very much but is a rule set I really loved and I occasionally check out ebay to see if I can pick up some books cheap. I was also able to pick up a starter set for the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons miniature game for $0.53 at Borders books with coupons and credits I had. I didn't own it 2 days before I bought my first expansion booster for the game. This collector bug could really kick into high gear if I'm not careful with this game. I need to find a source for some cheap single common minis and get a good collection of core models and try to avoid the new booster packs when I can. It is a game that could lead to some casual weekend gaming and some new contacts if I make the time. I could really use some new gaming contacts.
Well, that's about I think of to report on about what's going on lately. Life is good and things are going well. I could not ask for any more and I am greatful for everything in my life.
My fitness level is also improving. I typically walk 3 miles a day at least 5 days a week and feel much better physically. No joint pain or any real issues with mobility any more. Emotionally I still have moments where for no perceivable reason I get upset, angry, or depressed. Don't know what to do about those yet but I work through them and try to feel better. Those times are still the hardest part of the post-surgery experience.
Elizabeth started school the tuesday after Labor Day and is loving it. We should have started her in pre-school a year ago but we were worried about the change and we want her to be our "little" girl for as long as possible. She comes home with new information everyday and is starting to recognize letters, numbers, and some words already. I'm very excited for her future.
Amy is in her first semester as a department chair and the experience is not a very positive one for her. She has employees that don't cooperate with her or each other and don't do their jobs. It has been upsetting to realize how unprofessional some people can be. I really want her to find another job at another college. We'll have to wait and see.
My gaming life is not going as well as I would like it to but what's new there. I did run my 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons game again for the first time since Spring in September and we finally finished the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh adventure. I've been reading the second installment, Danger at Dunwater, and should be ready to start it this Sunday when we meet again. The 4th edition game that was meeting at Joel's only managed to play 1 game before it fell apart. And the online 4th edition game Joel is running with Maptools and Ventrilo is a lot of fun but still not as much fun as a face-to-face game. I may find myself in a position where I have to get up to speed with the 4th edition rules and try to run my own game. I really like the rule set and have invested a fair amount of money in rule books for the current edition of D&D.
Probably the aspect of gaming I have been most succesful at is collecting and spending money. I now have 24 of the 42 little black books from the original Traveller science fiction role-playing game from the early 1980s. Traveller is a game I did not play very much but is a rule set I really loved and I occasionally check out ebay to see if I can pick up some books cheap. I was also able to pick up a starter set for the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons miniature game for $0.53 at Borders books with coupons and credits I had. I didn't own it 2 days before I bought my first expansion booster for the game. This collector bug could really kick into high gear if I'm not careful with this game. I need to find a source for some cheap single common minis and get a good collection of core models and try to avoid the new booster packs when I can. It is a game that could lead to some casual weekend gaming and some new contacts if I make the time. I could really use some new gaming contacts.
Well, that's about I think of to report on about what's going on lately. Life is good and things are going well. I could not ask for any more and I am greatful for everything in my life.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
2 Month Check-Up
I had my 2 month check-up on April 3rd. My blood pressure was 111 over 75 and I had lost 90 lbs in 9 weeks. I feel great and I’m walking a lot, 3 miles everyday at lunch Monday through Friday. It is still hard to focus on some of my old, idle hobbies like painting wargaming miniatures. This is partly because I still have a nagging feeling that I should spend as much time active as I can squeeze into each day but also the demands of my daughter for attention and play time now that I am more active. Reading is something else that is hard to do, again because it requires me to be still. I need to try audio books when I go for my walks.
My wife, Amy, is where I was a month ago. She is having a love/hate relationship with her dietary changes but is starting to feel better about herself. Her energy hasn’t improved as much as mine at the same time but that is probably due more to stress from work. I hope that levels out for her soon. Amy does use the Wii Fit board for 30-45 minutes of step aerobics and yoga 4-5 times a week because it is not as easy for her to get out and walk at work. She hasn’t lost any significant weight in 2 weeks but she has lost a couple of sizes in clothing and can now wear some new clothes.
Summer should be both fun and challenging. The fun part should be going to see Amy’s family on the big island in Hawaii and meeting up with my mom on her vacation in the 4 corners region. I look forward to being in better shape and being able to move around and see more stuff this summer. The challenge will come from the Arizona heat and trying to stay active in general. Most of the regular exercise I get comes from walking around my college campus and it is already starting to get warm and we are nowhere near June. Heat may become my arch nemesis. I need to come up with alternative strategies for the 100+ degree months.
As a side note, we are playing Dungeons & Dragons again on April 19th. It has been 3 months since we played and the guys seem excited to start up again. I’m looking forward to playing and need to do a little prep work in the next 10 days. I’ve read the adventure 4 or 5 times and know how I’m going to setup the hook. The Sunday night game has been more fun since the surgery and the improved energy keeps me from dozing off during slow parts of the game. I hope the same energy carries over to running my own game and makes it better.
My wife, Amy, is where I was a month ago. She is having a love/hate relationship with her dietary changes but is starting to feel better about herself. Her energy hasn’t improved as much as mine at the same time but that is probably due more to stress from work. I hope that levels out for her soon. Amy does use the Wii Fit board for 30-45 minutes of step aerobics and yoga 4-5 times a week because it is not as easy for her to get out and walk at work. She hasn’t lost any significant weight in 2 weeks but she has lost a couple of sizes in clothing and can now wear some new clothes.
Summer should be both fun and challenging. The fun part should be going to see Amy’s family on the big island in Hawaii and meeting up with my mom on her vacation in the 4 corners region. I look forward to being in better shape and being able to move around and see more stuff this summer. The challenge will come from the Arizona heat and trying to stay active in general. Most of the regular exercise I get comes from walking around my college campus and it is already starting to get warm and we are nowhere near June. Heat may become my arch nemesis. I need to come up with alternative strategies for the 100+ degree months.
As a side note, we are playing Dungeons & Dragons again on April 19th. It has been 3 months since we played and the guys seem excited to start up again. I’m looking forward to playing and need to do a little prep work in the next 10 days. I’ve read the adventure 4 or 5 times and know how I’m going to setup the hook. The Sunday night game has been more fun since the surgery and the improved energy keeps me from dozing off during slow parts of the game. I hope the same energy carries over to running my own game and makes it better.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
4 Weeks Out & I Feel Fine (mostly)
It has been almost a month since I had gastric bypass surgery and some things have gone well and some things are still a struggle. Last Saturday I weighed in and had lost 56 pounds from my starting total of 521 pounds. Now at 465 pounds, I move better, my feet and legs don’t hurt nearly as much, I feel generally happier most of the time. I also want to be moving more and one of the times I look forward to the most each day is my walk.
When I’m at work, I tend to go for a walk around the perimeter of the campus. I get to see the new construction that’s happening. Spring is well underway here despite it being February. The last couple of days have been in the 80s and trees are showing signs of life, at least the few who lost their leaves. I listen to an MP3 player loaded with some of my favorite songs and walk for a little over 30 minutes at lunch everyday. The perimeter of the campus is about 1.25-1.5 miles and it’s a nice walk.
On weekends I try to walk in my neighborhood. It’s not as easy to do because of the distractions of home life and the requirements on my time. Weekends are busy with running errands and lately Amy has been traveling a lot but that should change soon. We did get to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and that was a good walk. I should try to take Elizabeth more often because I think she really enjoys it too. My typical walk is about a 1.5 miles through our neighborhood. It’s less interesting than the walk at work mainly because about a third of the houses in our neighborhood are in foreclosure. Our neighborhood is not very lively right now.
The hard part right now is still food and surprisingly the hardest part is eating enough. I still do not have any appetite. The nutritionist says I should be consuming between 800-1100 calories a day and most days I’m lucky if I can consume 400. I measure my food into 2 ounce servings and eat 3 times a day most days. The protein shakes and other liquids are another challenge. The protein shakes taste fine when I mix them fresh and they are cold but they tend to upset my stomach. I have only been consuming about 8 ounces a day when I should be consuming about 24 ounces. That would add a couple hundred calories to my daily intake if I can get to that point. And other liquids are just hard to keep up with because of the quantity. My water and sugar-free drink intake should be between 64-96 ounces a day. That means I spend most of my day with a bottle in my mouth so that I can get the minimum amount of liquid each day. It also means I feel full all the time which makes me not want to eat. It’s a nasty cycle to get into.
Most of my mental energy outside of work is spent trying to wrap my head around all of these changes. It’s not always easy and I find myself getting angry once or twice a week. I know that is has everything to do with me and I try not to make anyone else suffer. Trying distractions like painting models and reading have not been working lately because I feel like I need to be more active. I definitely have a sense of restlessness. After Amy has her surgery and is feeling better we may have to spend more time being active. We probably should just for the operations to be successful but I also want to which I haven’t felt since my early 20s. I feel younger just for what weight I’ve lost already. I hope it continues.
When I’m at work, I tend to go for a walk around the perimeter of the campus. I get to see the new construction that’s happening. Spring is well underway here despite it being February. The last couple of days have been in the 80s and trees are showing signs of life, at least the few who lost their leaves. I listen to an MP3 player loaded with some of my favorite songs and walk for a little over 30 minutes at lunch everyday. The perimeter of the campus is about 1.25-1.5 miles and it’s a nice walk.
On weekends I try to walk in my neighborhood. It’s not as easy to do because of the distractions of home life and the requirements on my time. Weekends are busy with running errands and lately Amy has been traveling a lot but that should change soon. We did get to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and that was a good walk. I should try to take Elizabeth more often because I think she really enjoys it too. My typical walk is about a 1.5 miles through our neighborhood. It’s less interesting than the walk at work mainly because about a third of the houses in our neighborhood are in foreclosure. Our neighborhood is not very lively right now.
The hard part right now is still food and surprisingly the hardest part is eating enough. I still do not have any appetite. The nutritionist says I should be consuming between 800-1100 calories a day and most days I’m lucky if I can consume 400. I measure my food into 2 ounce servings and eat 3 times a day most days. The protein shakes and other liquids are another challenge. The protein shakes taste fine when I mix them fresh and they are cold but they tend to upset my stomach. I have only been consuming about 8 ounces a day when I should be consuming about 24 ounces. That would add a couple hundred calories to my daily intake if I can get to that point. And other liquids are just hard to keep up with because of the quantity. My water and sugar-free drink intake should be between 64-96 ounces a day. That means I spend most of my day with a bottle in my mouth so that I can get the minimum amount of liquid each day. It also means I feel full all the time which makes me not want to eat. It’s a nasty cycle to get into.
Most of my mental energy outside of work is spent trying to wrap my head around all of these changes. It’s not always easy and I find myself getting angry once or twice a week. I know that is has everything to do with me and I try not to make anyone else suffer. Trying distractions like painting models and reading have not been working lately because I feel like I need to be more active. I definitely have a sense of restlessness. After Amy has her surgery and is feeling better we may have to spend more time being active. We probably should just for the operations to be successful but I also want to which I haven’t felt since my early 20s. I feel younger just for what weight I’ve lost already. I hope it continues.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It's Finally Done... & It Begins
On January 29th, 2009 I finally had my gastric bypass surgery. I was in a lot of pain that day and for a couple of days after but then things got better quick. 6 days after the surgery I was walking about 2 miles a day over 2-3 sessions throughout the day. A week after the surgery I walked 2 miles in one shot but that was too much and I got dehydrated and ended up in bed for the afternoon. I just can't drink enough water yet to offset that much sweating.
Which brings me to the 2nd part of the header. I knew the surgery was going to be a radical change for my diet and I read and studied everything I could get my hands on but it doesn't sink in until you are looking at a 2 oz serving. A 4 oz yogurt is breakfast for 2 days. I can't finish 1 large egg scrambled. I'm nowhere near consuming the 64-96 oz of water or 70 g of protein that are my daily goals. And I'm never hungry. I skip meals simply because the idea of eating the 2 oz makes me sick. This should get better over time but I'm afraid of slipping into malnutrition. I do take 4 chewable vitamins most days and probably get about 30-35 g of protein a day.
My doctor seems happy with everything. 12 days after my surgery I had lost 41 lbs and felt great. 3 weeks after my surgery I'm back at work and things are falling into a routine. I walk 1-1.5 miles at lunch around the campus. I need to punch more holes in my belt because I'm on the last hole. My wife wants to get new pants for me but I'm holding off until I make a significant change in the weight because I don't want to have to buy new pants every month.
I am excited to see what I will look like in 6 months and a year from now. I am also looking forward to being able to fit into theatre seats and in the rides at Disneyland. I hope to be able to keep up with my daughter and enjoy more time with her at the park and doing more physical things which she enjoys. She loves to run, jump, and play and that's been hard for me. It's been a hard change but it should get easier and it will definitely be worth it.
Which brings me to the 2nd part of the header. I knew the surgery was going to be a radical change for my diet and I read and studied everything I could get my hands on but it doesn't sink in until you are looking at a 2 oz serving. A 4 oz yogurt is breakfast for 2 days. I can't finish 1 large egg scrambled. I'm nowhere near consuming the 64-96 oz of water or 70 g of protein that are my daily goals. And I'm never hungry. I skip meals simply because the idea of eating the 2 oz makes me sick. This should get better over time but I'm afraid of slipping into malnutrition. I do take 4 chewable vitamins most days and probably get about 30-35 g of protein a day.
My doctor seems happy with everything. 12 days after my surgery I had lost 41 lbs and felt great. 3 weeks after my surgery I'm back at work and things are falling into a routine. I walk 1-1.5 miles at lunch around the campus. I need to punch more holes in my belt because I'm on the last hole. My wife wants to get new pants for me but I'm holding off until I make a significant change in the weight because I don't want to have to buy new pants every month.
I am excited to see what I will look like in 6 months and a year from now. I am also looking forward to being able to fit into theatre seats and in the rides at Disneyland. I hope to be able to keep up with my daughter and enjoy more time with her at the park and doing more physical things which she enjoys. She loves to run, jump, and play and that's been hard for me. It's been a hard change but it should get easier and it will definitely be worth it.
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